Portable room for use in symbolic exercises



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No. 494,857. PatentedApr.'4, 1893.

UNITED STATES PATENT EEICE.

J. `.ANTHONY GORMAN, OF MEMPHIS, MISSOURI.

PORTABLE ROOM FOR USE IN SYMBOILIC EXERCISES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 494,857, dated April 4, 1893.

Application tiled June 29, 1892. Serial No. 438,1126. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, J. ANTHONY GOEMAN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Memphis, in the county of Scotland and State of Missouri, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Portable Rooms for use in Symbolic Exercises; and I do hereby declare the following to beafull, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertaius to make and use the same.

My invention relates to appliances for use in the ceremonies in the Knights of Pythias, and it consists of certain novel features here inafter described and claimed.

Reference is had to the accompanying drawings, wherein the same parts are indicated by the same letters.

Figure l represents a perspective view of a room fitted for the administration of the third order of the Knights of Pythias constructed and arranged according to myV invention. Fig. 2 representsa perspective view of a modiied form of the said room. Fig. 3 represents a perspective view of the folding screen adapted for use in admitting candidates to the lower orders, and further illustrates the method of stowing away the said screen. Fig. 4 represents the skeleton ofthe folding screen adapted for use either to form the inner rooms C and P, or to form the side of the exterior room. Figs. 5 and 6 represent modifications of the device shown in Fig. 4. Fig. 7 illustrates the method of hin ging together various parts of the skeleton frame; and Fig. S represents another method of preparing the room for admission of candidates to the third order.

A represents the room composed of a nurnber of panels a connected together by hinges or in any other convenient Way, so as to form a complete inclosure. On the interior of this inclosure a number of iigures of human beings, animals, die., are either painted or pasted, and in lieu of eyes, these gures are provided with perforations a', or the perforation may be inclosed by the outer circle of the eye. These perforations extend entirely through the Walls of the room, and are preferably arranged at such a height that spectators on the exterior may look in.

At convenient places, preferably at the corners, alcoves C and P are provided called the Cauldron Scene, and Plutos Den. These alcoves are preferably made of sections of the folding screen, like those shown in Figs. 4, 5, and 6, the covering thereof being omitted in the said figures, in order that the inode of manufacture might be the better understood.

The room is provided with two entrances K and E, the one for the candidate, and the other for the examining party. The members of the order, not actively partici patingin the ceremony, stand without, and peer in through the holes marked ct. Colored lights of various kinds are burned on the interior of the room, and in the alcoves O and P; and the effect of the said iigures having living eyes capable of reflecting light as seen in that light is weird in the extreme. The height of the room is preferably from eight feet to any height capable of being used in the assembly room, and by putting in or taking out panels, the size of the room may be varied at will.

In the device shown in Fig. 8 canvas curtains are suspended from a ridge rope, which is supported by stanchions D, and stayed by ropes d secured to eyebolts d at convenient positions in the assembly room, but preferably attached to the Wash-board. The interior of this canvas is painted orpapered with various figures as before, having perforations Where the eyes of the said figures would be. In any case the number of the sides or the general shape of the room is immaterial, al-

thoughn I prefer the octagonal form shown in Fig. l.

In Figs. 4 and 5, G2 and C3 represent skeleton frames having panels c which may besecured together at any desired position by hooks h. c represents a skeleton door which may be hinged to the front of the alcove or not as desired.

For simple ceremonies, the room A may not be taken out of the ante-room, or other place of storage, but the folding screens represented in skeleton in Figs. 4 and 5, may be folded together as at A in Fig. 3, thus forming one continuous screen. On the interior of this screen figures are delineated having perforations for eyes, as shown to the right in Fig. 3, and through these perforations the members of the order may look as before.

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able, and exceedingly convenient apparatus` for conducting the ceremonies `of the said Knights of Pythias, and

I claim as new and desire ,to secure by Letters Patent of the United States- 1. A portable room vfor the purposes herein described, having the interior thereof decorated with representations of animals of 'Various kinds having eyes with perforations in said eyes extending through the sides of the room, substantially as described.

2. An apparatus for use in ceremonies of the character described, comprising a portable room having adjustable sides,with paintings or figures of men, beasts, and the like delineated on the `interior of lsaid sides, the said figures having' eyes with perforations through the sides of the room, concentric with said eyes; alcoves or inner rooms made of panels adapted to fold upon each other placed in said room; and'entrances to said room, substantially as and for the purposes described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

J. ANTHONY GORMAN. Witnesses:

GEO. M. HENNoN, W. C. BALLovv. 

